If even those who shared the same bloodline could be so devoid of affection, so ready to turn and tear each other apart for the sake of money and fame, how could Julian dare to place his entire heart, his life, and his future into the hands of a stranger with whom he shared no blood ties?
Even if Ethan Caldwell was currently good to him, even if the man spoiled him to the heavens, facts remained facts. Emotions were the most volatile variable in the universe. They changed like the weather. Today, you might be someone's precious treasure, held in the palm of their hand. Tomorrow, you could be a stranger, discarded and forgotten.
Julian lifted his head, water dripping rhythmically from his chin onto his chest, soaking the front of his sleepwear. The eyes looking back at him in the mirror no longer held the hazy, dreamy look of a spoiled lover. The petulance was gone. In its place was a gaze that was sharp, cold, and steely with determination.
